Ironic how I’m fighting tooth and nail for the last when he was about to offer me just that.
“I expect you there at three, sharp. Don’t be late.”
And with that order still hanging in the air, he leaves me standing all alone in a boxing ring with about thirty male pitying gazes on me.
At a quarter to three, I arrive at the public square right in front of one of the largest skyscrapers in this city.
Kelly Enterprises.
That’s what the world thinks my husband does. Build gigantic skyscrapers.
The Kelly name in Boston is synonymous with being real estate moguls. They build monstrosities like these and sell them for a pretty penny. Sure, they also have their hands in other pockets, such as tech, media, publishing, and other avenues, but real estate was where they made a name for themselves.
A clean name bought with dirty money.
Not that I can throw rocks on their glass roof when my own family’s source of income is less than exemplary.
Wearing a vintage white Gucci dress and Jimmy Choo high heel boots, I walk into the building like I own the place, even if, in part, there is a bit of truth to that statement now that I’m married to Tiernan. Knowing I have any ownership of such a cold thing is demoralizing, to say the least.
For me, this soulless building is just a reflection of the soulless man who actually has a personal interest invested in it. However, I’m sure that one of the reasons behind him spending so much time in his high castle is because it just gives him another way to look down on everyone else.
A few minutes later I arrive on his floor, and tell his pretty receptionist at the front desk that I’m here to see my husband. She quickly jumps out of her seat and leads me to a private boardroom, nervously offering me a variety of fancy lattes or coffees on the way there. It seems working for Tiernan isn’t a walk in the park either by the way she’s trying her very best to accommodate my every need in hopes that my husband will get wind of how affable she was.
I graciously decline and thank her for her help.
She gives me a grateful smile, and I wait for her to leave before I enter the room. Inside, my husband is seated at the head of a large cherrywood table, his brother Shay seated at his right, and Colin to his left.
If I naturally presumed that Tiernan’s invitation for me to meet him at his office was so that we could privately discuss the state of our so-called marriage, I can now see how wrong my assumptions were.
“Come on in and grab a seat. We don’t bite,” Shay jokes, always with his trademark cocky grin plastered on his face and a mischievous gleam to his light blue eyes.
I offer him a stern grin and take the seat opposite the three men at the other side of the table, making sure I’m seated right across from my husband.
“Thank you for coming,” Tiernan greets, looking sharp and devilishly handsome in his black five-thousand-dollar Tom Ford suit.
“Thank you for inviting me,” I return the fake pleasantries. “However, if I knew I was going to be in here for an actual business meeting, I would have dressed the part.”
“What you have on is good enough. Isn’t that right, Tiernan?” Shay taunts, smacking his lips and not making any excuses for his leering gaze on me.
“Why am I here?” I ask pointblank, instead of rising to Shay’s attempts to unsettle his older brother.
Tiernan taps his fingers on the edge of the table, just taking me in, as if he hasn’t quite decided yet why he summoned me here this afternoon.
“Well?” I repeat, unable to hide my annoyance, only to gain a tug of amusement on his upper lip.
“Stop being a dick and just tell her already,” Shay huffs out, sounding bored. “On second thought, why don’t you start by explaining why you forced Colin and me to be here, too? I mean, it’s obvious you two need some serious marriage counseling, but I hate to break it to you, deartháir, me and the big guy over there aren’t exactly the touchy-feely kind you can count on to kumbaya your issues away. Either just fuck it out amongst yourselves until you can bear the sight of one another without going all nuclear like you did at the gym this morning, or get a real professional to help you with your issues. Leave Col and me out of it.”
“Sit your ass down,” Tiernan orders when Shay begins to rise from his seat.
Shay curses under his breath but does as he’s told.
No wonder my husband is so bossy.
Even his kin follow his every command.
“It has come to my attention that I am not fulfilling my required duties of the treaty,” Tiernan begins to explain.